Device for displaying automobile numbers



3 Sheets-She et 2 R. S. CARTY DEVICE FOR DISPLAYING AUTOMOBILE NUMBERSJuly 17, 1928.

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Avrmme [my/920d 69x77 ATTORNFV H LJ July 17, 1 928 1,677,580

. R. s. CARTY DEVICE FOR DISPLAYING AUTOMOBILE NUMBER File 1927 3Shegts-Sheet 3 BY WM A TTORNE Y.

Patented July 17, 1928.

.oNirED jsTAT-Es PATENT OFFICE.

nronann s. CARTY, OF

My invention relates to displaying the dis- DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOBONEJIALF T CHARLES B.

ROBINSON, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

DEVICE Ion DISPLAYING AUTOMOBILE NUMBERS.

Applicationfiled January 110, 19 27j Serial No. 160,128.

tinguishing number'of an automobile and an ob ect of my improvement 1sto provide for the destruction of the sheet bearingthe n'um 6 her by anyunauthorized interference therewith.

in the a Figure 1 is a perspective-view of an ap- I secure this objectin the deviceillustrated ccompanying drawings, in which paratusembodying jmy invention, partly broken away.

Figur e 2 is a front sectional elevation.

The front of the'casing beingremoved to exhibit the interiorconstruction, the sect on being in approximately the planeII, II Figures1 and? Figur Figure arrows.

Figur Figure arrows.

Figur bearing e 3 is a section on the 2, looking in the direction of thee 4 is a section on the line IV, IV

e 5 is a detached view of the sheet the number.

Figure 6 is a front elevation to a reduced scale, partly broken away ofthe entire apparatus.

Figure? is a planview of the disengaging rod, and

e 8 is an elevation of the same, looking from below F igure 7. I

Figur 1-is an enclosed casing ment 2 having a compartand an uppercompartment?) separated from the firstnamedcompartment by a glasspartition 4. 5'is'a cover hinged at its upper edge at 6 to the casing 1and adapted to close the otherwise open front of partment 2.

casing 1 partment 3. 7 is a glass plate clos-' otherwise open front ofthe com- 9 is a slot in one end of the through which the glass plate?may be introduced, its inner edge engaging in a slot'9 in the oppositeend wall of the casing 1. 8 is a cover screwed upon the end wall of 10(Fig the casing 1 to cover the slot 9. 10,

. 2) are lamps in the compartment 3.

11, 11 are supporting end plates extending parallel to each other and'tothe end walls of the casing 1 and adjacent to said walls.

17 1s a sectional'rod' having a turn-' line 111, 111' buckle 1" andextending between the plates 11, 11; 12 is a roller'pivoted at its endsin the plates 11, 11, and provided with attaching pins 12, 12 13 is aroller pivoted at its ends in the'lower portion "of the plates 00 11,11, entirely similar to the roller 12 pivot ed towards the upper ends ofsaid plates. 13 13 are attaching pins extending from the roller 13. 12is a squared extension of the shaft of the roller 12 and 13 is a similarextension of the shaft of the roller 13. 16 16 (Fig. 1) are holes in theend wall of the casing 1 through which a key may be passed to engage thesquared extension 12'' or 13 to rotate the roller's12 or 13. 14, 14 areratchet wheels upon the shaft of the roller 12 outside of and adjacentto the plate 11., 15, 15 are similar ratchet wheels on the ends of theshaft or' the roller 13. 14 is a pawl adapted to engage the teeth oftheratchet wheel 14. There is a pawl 14 engaging each of theratchetwheels 14 and between the pawls extends a rod 14 by which said pawls maybe simultaneously raised to disengage this from the teeth of the ratchetwheels 14, 14. i There is a pawl 1'5? adaptedv to engage the teeth ofeach of the ratchet wheels 15, 15. v

The number of the automobile is placed upon a sheet of paper or othersuitable mate'rial. of the shap'e'shown in Figure 5, in which 16 denotesthe number sheet and 16 theenga'ging apertures in the upper and lowerportion of said sheet. Said engaging apertures are placed over the pins12 and 13 and the rollers 12 and 13 turned in opposite directionuntilthe sheet is drawn taut and is held, asshown'in Figure 4,converging outwardly from the top to its lower portions and in front ofthe glass plate 7 so that the number may be seen through said plateand'will be illuminated by the light from thelamps 10,10'in the uppercompartment 3.

18 is, arotatable shaft pivoted at its ends in the plates 11, 11andlocated between the rollers 12 and 13 and parallel thereto. 20, 20are ratchet wheels on the axle of the shaft 18 and 21, 21farepawlsengaging the teeth of the ratchet wheels 20, 20; 19, 19 are spiralsprings adapted to rotate the shaft 18. 18

is a squared shaft which may be engaged by a key passing through thehole 18 in the end of the casing 1, to wind up the springs 19, 19, whichsprings are held in their wound up condition by the pawls 21, 21engaging the ratchet wheels 20, 20 and when said pawls are released. thesaid springs unwind, rapidly rotating the shaft '18. 18 is a series ofcutter bars extending at right angles, or radially, from the shaft 18and arranged in a spiral extending about half way around the shaft. Theshaft 18 is arranged, as shown in Figure 4, so that the sheet number 16will clear it but the bars 18 will strike against and out said sheetinto strips and destroy the number thereon when the shaft 18 is rotated.

23, 23 are tubular guides extending vertically and secured to the bottomof the easing 1 inside and towards the ends of said casing. 25, 25 aretubular parts fitting over and adapted to slide on the guide 23 andpreferably having their upper ends closed. 24:, 24 are helical springsin the guides 23, 23 acting to force the parts 25, 25 upward when saidparts are free to move. 25, 25 are horizontal extensions from the lowerends of the parts 25, 25.

26 is a rod extending horizontally between the plates 11, 11 and adaptedto reciprocate backward and forward in slots 27 in said plates. 26 is arod extending horizontally forward from the center of the rod 26 andpassing outward through an aperture in the front of the casing 1. 26 isa roller adjustably supported below the rod 26 and rigidly secured tosaid rod. There is a roller 26 at each end of the rod 26, when the rod26 is pulled forward the rollers 26 come over the extensions 26 of theparts 25 and hold said parts in their lowest position with the springs24. contracted. When said rod is pushed backward, as indicated in brokenlines in Figure 1, the rollers 26 are'removed from over the extensions25* and the parts 25 are free to move upward under the impulse of thesprings 24: unless otherwise restrained.

22, 22 are rods extending vertically downward, pivoted at their upperends to the pawls 21, 21 and extending at 22 over the extensions 25 ofthe movable parts 25.

The glass 7 is cut away at 7 7 (Fig. 6) so that if said glass is movedendwise until such cut away parts come over the parts 25 the last namedparts will be freed from the restrain of the glass 7 resting upon theirupper edges and permitted to rise under the impulse of their springs 24,2 1-.

33, 33 are tubular guides extending from the rear wall of the casing 1and having helical springs 31, 31 therein. 28 is a bolt having a head30. The shank of the bolt 28 passes through the spiral spring 31 andthrough the guide 33 and through an aper- Thearts 25 are forced downwardand i are engaging rod 26 is drawn forward so as to hold the parts 25 intheir lower positions and the springs 19, 19 are wound up,

the shaft 18 being in the position shown in Figure 4:. The sheet 16 isnow engaged by the aperture 16 over the pins 12, 12 and 13, 13 and therollers 12 and 13 are turned to tighten said sheet. The casing isattached to a convenient support by the bolts 28 and said bolts aredrawn up to considerably contract the spring 31 and even so that thehead 30 of the bolt shall engage the end of the guide 33, thus holdingthe casing in position to show the number through the open front of thecasing. The glass 7 is now slid inward through the opening 9 and restswith its lower edge upon the parts 25, 25.

The engaging rod 26 is now pressedinward by means of the rod 26 untilthe rollers 26 are free of the parts 25 and the rod 26 falls inside thecasing. closed by securing the covering plate 8 thereon.

Now should anyone attempt to remove the number sheet he might take offthe cover plate 8 and draw the glass 7 outward in the slot 9. If, thiswere done, when the cut away portions 7 7 came over the parts 25, 25said parts would be forced upward, the

extensions 25 would engage the lower ends of the rods 22 and force thepawls 21, 21 out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheels 20,20 releasing the shaft 18, which would be rapidly rotated by the springs19, 19 thus by means of the bars 18? cutting the sheet 16 into shredsand de.

stroying said sheet and the number thereon. Should the plate-7 be brokenand removed of course the same result would follow.

Should an attempt be made to remove the casing 1 entirely by unscrewingthe nuts 29 or cutting the bolts 28 said bolts would be released and thesprings 31 would force them forward carrying the rollers 35i'nto contactwith the pawls -21 releasing'thze shaft 18, as before described, anddestroying the number sheet.

\Vhat I claim is: 1. In an apparatus of the kind described.

the combination of a sheet bearin'g'a number and an automatic meansactuated by stored power for destroying the material bearing saidnumber.

The aperture 9 is.

thecombination of a sheet bearing a number and an automatic meansactuated by stored power for destroying the material bearing saidnumberand means for tripping said automatic means adapted to be actuatedby unauthorized interference therewith. I

3. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination of a sheetbearing a number, a shaft pivoted adjacent to said sheet, automaticmeans actuated by stored power for rotating said shaft and means wherebythe rotation of said shaft shall destroy the material bearing saidnumber when said shaft is rotated. c

4. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination of a sheetbearing a number, a shaft pivoted adjacent to said sheet, automaticmeans for rotating said shaft and bars arranged in a helical seriesabout saidbar and adapted todest-roy the material bearing said numberwhen said shaft is rotated. I

5. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination of adestructible sheet, a rotatable bar pivoted adjacent to said sheet,means whereby the movement of said bar shall destroy said sheet, aspring adapted to move said bar to destroy said sheet, a releasablemeans for restraining said bar from movement and means whereby saidrestraining means shall be released-by unauthorized interference.

6. In an apparatus of the kind described,

a sheet bearing a number, a rotatable shaftpivoted adjacent to saidsheet,means whereby the rotation of said shaft shall destroy said sheet,a spring acting to revolve said shaft, a ratchet wheel on said shaft, apawl coacting with said ratchet wheel to restrain said bar from rotationand means for tripping said pawl for the purpose described.

7. In an apparatus of the kind described, a sheet bearing a number, arotatable shaft pivoted adjacent to said sheet, means whereby therotation of said shaft shall'destroy said sheet, a spring acting torevolve said shaft, a ratchet wheel on said shaft, a pawl coacting withsaid ratchet wheel to restrain said bar from rotationand means fortripping said pawl, a casing enclosing said sheet and a spring pressedmember held in position in which the spring is stressed by a portion ofsaid casing, said member being adapted to actuate said tripping meanswhen released for the purpose described. 1

8. In an apparatus of the 1 'nd described,

a sheet bearing a number, a rotatable shaft pivoted adjacent to saidsheet, means whereby the rotation of said shaft shall destroy saidsheet, a springaoting to. revolve said shaft, a ratchet wheel On saidshaft, a pawl coacting with said ratchet wheel to restrain said bar fromrotation and means for tripping said pawl, a casing, a spring pressedmember securing said casingto. a support and means whereby said securingmeans shall operatesaid tripping means when released for the purposedescribed.

9. The combination of a casing having a glass front, a sheet within saidcasing bear-- ing a number that may be seen through said glass,automatic meansv for destroying said number, a member adapted to travelin a vertical path, a spring tending to raise said member, said glassresting upon said member to hold it in position against the action ofsaid spring and a'tripping means for said automatic means, said memberbeing adapted to actuate said tripping means when released.

10. The combination of a casing having a glass front,a sheet within saidcasing bear-- ing a number that may be seen through said glass,automatic means for destroying said number, a member adapted to travelin a vertical path, a spring tending to raise said member, said glassresting upon said member to hold it in position against the action ofvsaid spring and a trippingmeans for said automatic means, said memberbeing adapted to actuate said tripping means when released, said glassbeing capable of lateral displacement and being cut away at its edge soas to release said member when so displaced.

11. The combination of a casing having a glass front, a sheet Withinsaid casing bearing a number that may be seen through said glass,automatic means for destroying said number, a member adapted to travelin a vertical path, a spring tending to raise said member, saidglass'resting upon said member to hold it in position against the actionof said spring and a tripping means, for said automatic means, saidmember being adapted to actuate said tripping means when released and arestraining means for holding said member in the position with thespring contracted 'when said glass is not in place, said restrainingmeans being adapted to be permanently removed from operative position. I

' 12. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination of acasing, a sheet bearing a number thereon supported by said casing,automatic means for destroying the material bearing said number, meansfor attaching said casing to an automobile and means whereby thereleasing of said attaching means shall release said automatic means todestroy said number.

' 13. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination of acasing, a sheet bearing a number thereon supported by said casing,automatic means for destroying the material bearing said number, saidcasing having a glass wall, and means whereby the removal of the glassshall release said automatic means to destroy said number.

7 14:. In an apparatus 01"- the kind described, action of said springand means operable the combination of a casing, a sheet bearing fromoutside of said casing for holdlng said a number thereon an automaticapparatus part against the action of said spring and re- 10therein-adapted to destroy said number, a leasing the same for thepurpose described 5 spring impelled part 25 adapted to ti'ip'said Intestimony whereof, I sign this speciautomatic apparatus when released, aglass fioation. I

plate acting to hold said part against the RICHARD S. CARTY.

